Tag: dailyprompt

I don’t think I’ve really had bad travel experiences, because I research everything carefully before embarking on one.

There were small things like finding myself in certain places I shouldn’t be in because I followed some advice someone gave me but they weren’t that bad either.    One experience I recall and still gives me the creeps is the time we went to Singapore, my son and I, and we stopped a taxi on the street.  I sat in the front seat next to the driver.  My son was in the backseat with a girlfriend. The driver was a fat balding Chinese man, seemed friendly at first until he kept his eyes on me and I felt my hair stand up at the back of my neck.  He put on some loud music and asked, “Do you like this music?”  I shrugged my shoulders and refused to engage in conversation with him. Then he pretended to reach for something on the console and lightly brushed my thigh and gave me another look again!  

I prayed that he would get us safely to our destination and he did.  When we got out and I paid him, he took the money and gave me this leery grin again.  He was creepy.  Later, my son asked, “What was wrong with that driver?”  I told him I don’t know but that guy still stays on my mind to this day. 

One other experience was our trip to Dubai.  My ex had booked this flight that would take us the long way there.  He loved making life difficult.  Anyway, after several changes we arrived at our final destination at around 9 in the evening.  We walked out of the plane and a blast of HOT air hit us.  It was enough to make you gasp for air.  It seems, even in the evenings or at night, Dubai stays hot and it didn’t get better either.  The days were unbearably hot and staying indoors in air-conditioned areas was the way to go.  

I don’t think I’ve had any bad experiences other than the ones I mentioned.  I’m not a risk-taker so safety first is my thing.  Thankfully, most of my experiences have been on the positive side and I hope that they stay that way! 

What’s the worst travel experience you’ve ever had?

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If there is one piece of travel advice I always follow, it is SAFETY FIRST above all else.  There are many things you should pay attention to before you take a trip and here are some of the most important ones.

Watching your bags carefully is one of them.  Even turning your head away for a few seconds could spell trouble if you’re in crowded transit areas.

Most of us think that hotel safes are safe but that is not the case.  The codes can be overridden so keep your valuables close to your heart.

Use reputable ATMs instead of exchanging cash at airport kiosks.  You get poor exchange rates so use local bank ATMs when you can.

Taxis can be a trap.  Use registered taxis and official taxi stands.

Never log into your online banking app without VPN protection.

Never drink water or sip on ice from regions that have advisory warnings.  

Pack a first-aid kit because you never know when you will need it.

Preparation is key and know this, no matter how well you research and prepare yourself something can go wrong.  I listened to locals and found myself next to a local cemetery in the middle of the night!  Luckily, nothing happened and I escaped unharmed.  

I don’t travel much these days but if I did, I would prepare like crazy and look at everything before taking the trip.  It is time well-spent and it might just save your life.

What’s one piece of travel advice you always follow?

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Another question that I have no answers for.  I vaguely recall that my son and his dad were into videogames and I was totally against them spending all of their time in front of the screen.  I also remember telling them that the time could be put to better use.  Did they listen?  Nope.  They were so into it that vacations were a nightmare.  We would head out to faraway places and the two would opt for staying in the hotel room with their eyes glued to the computer screen.  It was a tag team game and they were having a blast.  Me, not so much!

I’m glad that those days are over with.  My son still plays but with his friends and my ex, he still loves his computer games.  I can’t even remember those titles anymore but they were into it and still are.

This is a question for them and not for me.  I don’t give a flying flip about computer games or video games for that matter!

Next question please….

What was your first ever videogame?

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Absolutely!  I am goal-oriented and always have been except for my younger days when I had my head in the clouds and refused to budge!  It didn’t last long, once I got ready to come out of that phase, I became goal-oriented and how!

Some goals didn’t last long when met with failure and others stood the test of time.  Even now, my life is structured and I set daily goals so that I know where I’m headed and what I want done for the day.

Why are goals necessary?  They are necessary because, “they give your life and work clear direction, focus, and motivation, turning abstract dreams into a structured path of action.”  If you want to succeed, have clear goals in mind.  If one fails, it is not the end of the world, make up another and hang onto it for dear life!  

I don’t think success was ever achieved without clear goals in mind, they are a necessary evil, like it or not.

Do you set personal goals for yourself?

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I would say it is hands-down, Fifty Shades of Grey.  It would be an absolute nightmare since I am a stick-in-the-mud and it did make me turn several shades of whatever color, you choose!

The book dealt with the glorification of abusive behavior and other themes such as stalking and control and according to one critic, it relied on toxic tropes to get its storyline across.  It also relied on the narrative that one naive woman, Anastasia, could fix a deeply troubled and an abusive man, Christian, through love.

Add to that the chemistry between Christian and Anastasia which was non-existent at times and you’ve got a poorly rated book and or movie.  The BDSM, “a broad term for sexual practices and roleplay that involve bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism,” didn’t add much either, well, it did add some shock value and that was about it as far as I was concerned.  The “tampon scene” was especially disturbing.  This is where Christian Grey removes Anastasia Steele’s tampon and if that wasn’t harrowing enough, he proceeds to have sex with her.

It is not your normal run-of-the-mill romance and it did achieve a lot of interest because of its explicit sex scenes and erotic content but that’s about it.  

Therefore, I would say that this book’s world would be the absolute worst to live in.  No ifs or buts about it! 

Which book’s world would be the absolute worst to live in?

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I’m sitting here and trying to come up with a movie that fits this question, but nothing comes to mind!

I need my first cup of coffee before I get going and since I had a sleepless night and I haven’t had that all-important cup of coffee, my mind is fuddled,  and I can’t think clearly. It could also be that I’ve never watched an underrated movie.  It could be both but as I said, nothing comes to mind.

Next question please…….

What’s the most underrated movie you’ve ever watched?

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I never thought I could live alone.  Fear, as I’ve said many times before, was my constant companion.  Sometimes I thought I was afraid of my own shadow but I’ve come a long ways from way back then.

When we separated after 16 years of marriage, I didn’t see the part that was coming, the one where you find yourself alone.  At first, it was difficult to breathe and every sound in the night kept me up.  

Like all things that seems impossible at first and later becomes routine, living alone became that as well.  The sounds in the night still scare him but I have Chachi, the cat, beside me and since he is scared of his own shadow, I am now his defender and therefore, fearless!

I still have my fears when I come home alone at night and walk into a dark place.  All those horror movies of someone hiding in the shadows do take hold, but I turn on all the lights and I’m fine again.

I’m learning to master the living alone part pretty well.  It was the one thing that I thought I could never do and here I am, doing it everyday without thinking twice about it.  

Never say never, as they say.  Sometimes the impossible becomes the possible when you have no other choice.

What’s something you’ve done that you never thought you could?

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Oh, what a wonderful life that would be?  Not really, but I would like to have the power and money to do whatever I want.  It wouldn’t be about dabbling in politics, populating the world, or even about conquering unknown frontiers.

It would be more down-to-earth.  The money would come in handy in helping the poor and those in need around the world.  It would be put to good use trying to eradicate racism, which is more than a pet peeve with me.  Racism “acts as a systemic barrier that affects individuals and communities globally, influencing areas like education, employment, healthcare, and justice.”  Therefore, the money would be put to good use in alleviating those issues.

“Urghh!”  That’s Elon groaning.

Don’t worry, it is just wishful thinking but if I could switch lives with Elon Musk for a week, I would turn the world upside down, kick racism out the door to where every man, woman, and child would have a fair chance in this world, and instead of looking at Mars and what’s out there, I would concentrate on what is here and what is facing us.

Let’s make this world a better place for ALL of us and not just for a few.

Another, “Urghh?!!”

Well, that’s what I’ll do, so if you want to take a break and let me run your life for a week, let’s do it!  I guarantee you’ll come out smelling like a rose after that.

What do you say?

If you could switch lives with a famous person for a week, who would it be and why?

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